Is homosexuality created by God? Why does the Bible declare such explicit opposition to homosexuality? Does opposition to same-sex marriage imply sexual discrimination? Dr. Rev. Ekron Chen, associate professor of systematic theology and academic dean of Logos Evangelical Seminary in Los Angeles, appeared at a Los Angeles Featured Topic Family Discussion Forum to talk about homosexuality from a Biblical perspective.
The creation of two sexes is the cornerstone of marriage
According to Chen, Genesis 2:24 (For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh) is the first scripture that makes mention of marriage, which also forms the basis of the perspective and teachings surrounding marriage in Christianity. This scripture passage is also cited in many verses within the New Testament when defining marriage.
For instance, in Mark 10:6-8, Jesus used the above scripture passage when speaking on the topic of divorce. Jesus clearly stated, that God created man and woman so that they can be joined as one as husband and wife. Simply put, “the creation of two sexes is the cornerstone of marriage”.
Two sexes serve to represent the relationship between Christ and the church
Chen stated that God created two sexes not only to serve the purpose of multiplication, but also to serve a much deeper purpose. God expressed his wonderful purpose through the apostle Paul (Ephesians 5), namely that “God created man and woman, and allow them to unite in order to represent the relationship of Christ and the church”.
Chen thought that this is a very important concept in theology and the belief of Christianity. It also explains why “God created two sexes, and not a single sex, or multiple sexes”. And the reason is that only two sexes can serve the purpose of representing the relationship between Christ and the church.
Chaos in the two sexes distorts the relationship between the creator God and his creations
Pastor Chan quoted C.S. Lewis’s point of view to further explain that the relationship between the two sexes is similar to the relationship of the creator and his creations; “thus, God created two sexes not just to represent the relationship of Christ and the church, but also to represent the relationship between him and his creations”.
In other words, God created two sexes to let mankind understand the relationship between him and us. With that said, the existence and unity between a man and a woman is holy and sacred.
Taking a look now at homosexuality, it not only creates chaos in sexual identity, but also creates chaos in God’s relationship with his church and his creations. In Chen’s opinion, this is the basis of why the Bible explicitly holds an opposition to homosexuality.
Chaos in the two sexes is the negative consequence of the sin and fall of mankind
How does chaos in sexual recognition come about? Is homosexuality then also created by God? These are mind-boggling questions for many people.
Chen gave the following reply to these questions: according to the Bible's teachings, it is not difficult to see that homosexual tendencies do not come from God, and that homosexuality is not created by God. Sin is the culprit of causing chaos in the two sexes, and because of the sin and fall of mankind, chaos in the two sexes has resulted.
He pointed out that when the ancestors of mankind sinned, God told them the land was cursed because of them. These words hold deeper meanings, namely, that all creations are polluted by the sin of mankind, and that the world is now not the same perfect world that God originally created.
Furthermore, the body of mankind is no longer the same perfect body with "God's image". When man sinned, mankind became a combination of good and evil, and the image of God in man became distorted.
Witnessing the current national wave of debate across America surrounding the hot topic of same-sex marriage, one wonders: is this a political issue or an ethical issue? What is the basic goal of the homosexual population in the headstrong fight for marriage rights? Does opposing same-sex marriage then mean discrimination against the homosexual population? Please continue to read the upcoming articles.
[Editor's note: Carol Lee translated the article.]
